Pearl islands

The old quarter is the best place to start for first-time travellers in Hà Nội. — VNA/VNS Photo HCM CITY — HàNội and PhúQuốc Island are in a list of 17 best places in Asia that US cable TV channel CNN has put out. It cites natural charm, rich history and good cuisine as its reasons for choosing them. "As the capital of Việt Nam, HàNội is a hub of history, culture and endless energy.” The capital’s old quarter’s most popular attractions are mostly quaint Buddhist shrines, street markets and traditional Vietnamese arts, it said. Beside Hà Nội, CNN said travellers should chase the sun to Phú Quốc Island, also known as “Pearl Island”, in the Cửu Long (Mekong) Delta province of Kiên Giang. It is home to some of the most beautiful beaches in Southeast Asia, not to mention the world's longest over-sea cable car, the … [Read more...] about Hà Nội, Phú Quốc Island among best places in Asia: CNN

Phu Quoc Island. — SunGroup photo. From many years, Vietnam’s largest island, Phu Quoc had been a rather sleepy, low-key destination. But in the last couple of years, the island has become one of Asia’s most talked about destinations, especially for luxury tourism. Remote destination At the turn of the 21 century, Phu Quoc — blessed with stunning beaches and an attractive year-round climate — was an undeveloped tropical island with minimal tourism. But even then many tourism observers believed it had the potential to one day compete with the likes of Bali and Phuket. The island would develop rather slowly for the next 10 years and remained associated with simple beachside pleasures such as eating fresh seafood, snorkelling or just flopping around on an otherwise empty beach. Most visitors stayed for just two days before flying back to Ho Chi Minh City or Hanoi — the island had no direct flights from … [Read more...] about Phu Quoc island, a rising star for luxury tourism in Asia

Along with Premier Village Phu Quoc Resort, the five-star condotel Premier Residences Phu Quoc Emerald Bay is the latest additional cosmopolitan touch to the southern point of Phu Quoc Island, one of the 100 prettiest beaches in the world voted by Flight Network in 2018. Featuring 745 opulent rooms from 39 square metres with expansive views over the emerald blue sea, this residential resort brings a more spacious and stylish option to adventurous travellers. Whether going on a romantic escape or a fun family trip, Premier Residences can provide your sanctuary on Phu Quoc Island. Each of its sophisticated rooms feature aesthetic interiors and state-of-the-art equipment. Ranging from an ample standard room to a lavish penthouse, each room is designed to welcome the most distinguished guests. Luxurious and convenient facilities include three restaurants, two bars, a spa and gym, kids’ club, board meeting room, and an activity centre. Dreamed up for the perfect family … [Read more...] about Home sweet home on the lush Pearl Island

Breathtaking: Hang Rái or Otter Cave offers endless opportunities to marvel at the beauty of sunsets and daybreaks. Photo saigonstartravel.com Viet Nam News Nha Trang is gearing up for the 2019 National Touridm Year themed "Nha Trang — Colour of the Sea". Bùi Quỳnh Hoa shares her trip to Tứ Bình, four wild and amazing islands (including Bình Ba, Bình Hưng, Bình Tiên and Bình Lập) in the southern central province of Khánh Hòa. As we began our descent to Cam Ranh Airport, we were greeted with white clouds and blue sky, while the flight captain informed us of the pleasant weather at our destination. A few days ago, four of our six-member group had struggled with relationship problems, leading to some calls to cancel the trip entirely. Everyone was in a bad mood and our enthusiasm for exploring the charms of Tứ Bình had been dampened. The area was made up of four primeval islands including … [Read more...] about The four Bình islands, paradise on earth

My ultimate dream would be to able to spend at least three months of every year on the Pacific island paradise of Rarotonga, with my mask, snorkel and fins, and camera, oh and a laptop for writing. Perhaps summering over in Aotearoa (New Zealand) for three months, and the remaining six travelling the World! Hmmm, now where is that lottery ticket… Rarotonga, affectionately known as Raro, is the main island in the Cook Islands chain and it is quite literally in the middle of the Pacific Ocean just over the International Date Line (10 hours behind GMT), so you travel back in time when flying there from New Zealand. Depending on which flight you get you can experience the same day twice, actual time travel. Indeed, once you arrive on the island everything runs on ‘Raro Time’, and it is just bliss! Well, I think so anyway. A stunning volcanic island, with a mountainous, rainforest interior, surrounded by white sandy beaches, and encircled by coral reef, … [Read more...] about Rarotonga, Cook Islands – Pacific Paradise